Decibel Portfolio Essay -- essays research papers

The intensity I of a sound wave is measured in watts per metre squared ( ). The lowest intensity that the average human ear can detect, i.e. the threshold of hearing, is denoted by , where . The loudness of sound, i.e. its intensity level , is measured in decibels (dB), where . From this function a specific relationship between and can be drawn that holds true for any increase in intensity. By knowing the value of beta ( ), the value of can be found via manipulation of the logarithmic function, and by knowing the value of beta can by found by just taking the log of and multiplying it by ten. The intensity level of ordinary conversation is 65 dB. In order to find the intensity of normal conversation on must set beta to 65 dB and to . Afterwards, via using the division property of equality one joins like terms. Once the logarithm is alone, one can apply the properties of logarithms and separate the logarithm into two logarithms. The quotient rule for logarithms is applied to this equation, , where and . By the definition of the logarithmic function, if and only if , one knows that in order to cancel out the logarithm one must exponentiate the log to ten. When one does this one must also keep in mind that equality must be kept on both sides of the equation, so the -5.5 becomes the exponent of ten. After doing this, one knows that . dB . If one wanted to find the intensity of the sound inside and automobile travelling at that has an intensity level of 75 dB one would follow the same procedure mentioned previously to find intensity. In addition to this method one can use a graphing calculator in order to make the finding of I simpler. By following the procedure one can use a Ti-82 graphing calculator to find the intensity I of a sound by knowing the intensity level b. The function used is just all the steps followed above summarized into one function.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Enter   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ENTER By the use of the calculator, one finds the correct response in a quicker fashion than by working the problem out. However, in order to prove that the answer provided by the calculator is correct one should always work out the problem by hand. dB  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Source of Sound  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Intensity Level (dB)  ... ...even though the has changed, if the intensity level increases by ten units, then the intensity increases ten times. When me and my dog cross a busy street the noise does not seem equally loud to both of us. This because the dog has a higher threshold of hearing than me. This is explained best by the fact that the graph for the intensity level in terms of intensity for dogs is translated ten units up from the one for humans. The vertical translation signifies that for any given intensity, the intensity level is ten dB more for dogs than for humans. Knowing the relationship between intensity I and the intensity level b is very important to understanding how all beings hear. By understand the relationship, we know that the threshold of something’s hearing is what affects loudness with which it hears the sound. Furthermore, by understanding the relationship we know that the curve for the relationship will always have the same shape, but the only difference will be that for different thresholds, it will be translated along the Y-axis. Throughout this project, it was researched how to use properties of logarithms in order to assist one in finding intensity by knowing intensity level,

Explaining the Mysteries in the Story “Lucky” by Viet Dinh Essay

Viet Dinh’s short story is about the change in relationship between a man and his Aunt and Uncle. Jae, the main character in the story used to like his Uncle Sung and Aunt Kwi better than his own parents but suddenly had a change of heart because of an incident he experienced. Jae had been working in his Uncle Sung’s store when it was robbed one day. The robber put a gun against Jae’s temple and demanded for cash. Although the robber had acquired the contents of the cash register, he also demanded Uncle Sung’s wallet, threatening to put a hole in Jae’s head. While Jae had been terrified with his current situation, fearing for his life, Uncle Sung acted as if his nephew were not in a life-threatening situation, refusing to surrender his wallet. In the end, Uncle Sung bribed Jae $20 for his silence. Despite of his Uncle Sung’s request for him to keep silent, Jae told his Aunt Kwi what really happened during the incident hoping to get the sympathy of his Aunt. To Jae’s dismay, Aunt Kwi also requested for his silence. Jae was only 12 years old during the incident. While Jae’s change of heart in his relationship with his Aunt and Uncle is understandable, there are some mysteries in the story. First, why would Uncle Sung and Aunt Kwi not want Jae to tell others what really happened during the robbery? What would Uncle Sung accomplish or get by not telling the truth or by reinventing the story? Certainly, Uncle Sung has nothing to do with the whole incident and he was a victim as much as Jae was. Second, why were Uncle Sung and Aunt Kwi still mad at Jae 16 years after the robbery incident when it did not really did them any harm whether Jae told the real story or not? As a matter of fact, they were the ones who should be sorry for what they did to their nephew. Third, Jae’s feelings towards his Aunt and Uncle were not really resolved. The answers to these questions were not very clear from the story but I will attempt to find the logic behind such actions by the characters. The answer to the first mystery may be found in Uncle Sung’s sense of adventure. At the beginning of the story, Jae, who was also the narrator, related how Uncle Sung died. Uncle Sung, with all his profit from his businesses, was able to buy different cars, all of them built for speed. Uncle Sung died while driving one of these sports cars, where he apparently lost control, probably racing on a freeway. Jae held that he always felt danger around Uncle Sung. Uncle Sung’s sense of adventure was apparent during the robbery by keeping his cool despite the presence of life-threatening danger that he bragged about it in a get-together after the robbery. He even rebuked Jae for acting cowardly during the whole incident while leaving out the important part that Jea had been held captive. The first mystery could also be solved by Uncle Sung’s greediness with money. It was apparent during the robbery incident that money was more important for Uncle Sung than the lives of his workers, especially of Jae who was held captive by the robber, imposing a real threat to his life. Although, the robber was demanding for his wallet, Uncle Sung acted as if he did not care about Jae’s life hanging in the balance. He told the robber that he did not have his wallet at the moment although he had it in his pocket all along. Although Jae ended up keeping his life, Uncle Sung refused to give the robber his wallet in exchange for Jae’s life. That Uncle Sung held his money more important than anything else is shown also by his attitude regarding money. By bribing Jae, he hoped to buy Jae’s silence, and by giving a large sum of money during Jae’s wedding, he hoped to appease Jae. Uncle Sung regarded money so much as to think he could buy people with it, as through the manifestation of their silence or approval. Note that this attitude of Uncle Sung works in tandem with his being adventurous to solve the first mystery. By asking Jae to be silent, Uncle Sung hoped the approval of those who heard his version of the incident, that he would gain their admiration by keeping his cool despite the terrifying incident. To fully accomplish this, however, it was important for him to leave out the part that he put Jae’s life on the line, which also saved him hard-earned money in his wallet. Having found the answer to the first mystery, the solution to the second becomes apparent. Uncle Sung and Aunt Kwi were still mad at Jae because they held honor an important aspect, even though this honor was not rightfully earned. Knowing the real story of what happened during the robbery and his apparent refusal to keep silent, Jae represented a threat to Uncle Sung’s honor. Although it was really not clear whether or not Jae told the story to others, he at least told it to his parents, as could be shown with their understanding why Jae would not want to see or be associated with his Uncle Sung. In fact, the whole incident was the reason why a strain in the extended family’s relationship developed. Uncle Sung and Aunt Kwi were still mad at Jae because, after all that they had done for their nephew, he still refused to keep silent threatening the reputation his uncle worked hard to achieve. They held that Jae’s refusal to keep silent is a sign of not only his disrespect for them but also of his ingratitude towards what they did for him and his family. Again, it displayed Uncle Sung’s attitude towards money, that he expected Jae and his family not to cross him by helping Jae’s family on their business. Unfortunately, the third mystery could not really be solved from the solutions to the first two mysteries. Although Jae agreed to come to his uncle’s wake, it is uncertain whether or not he had already forgiven his uncle for putting him in danger and asking him to keep silent. Maybe he agreed to come, just as he was urged to agree to invite Uncle Sung in his wedding, because of his parents’ urging that Uncle Sung is still a family member. However, in his uncle’s wake, Jae told his Aunt Kwi that his uncle looked so peaceful. It is unclear whether this was a sign of him making peace with his uncle or not and it does not help knowing the reaction of his aunt. Aunt Kwi, after hearing what Jae has to say, pushed him away saying that he was ungrateful. There are two plausible solutions why Aunt Kwi may have acted the way she did. First, she still may hold a grudge against Jae for being defiant towards Uncle Sung. There is however a flaw in this solution. It was apparent that Aunt Kwi was preventing for the relationship between her husband and Jae from getting any worse through her action during Jae’s wedding, wherein she tried to put her husband at ease while Uncle Sung was criticizing Jae in front of other people. By preventing her husband from saying any further that may ruin Jae’s reputation, despite of the fact that she disapproved of what Jae had decided to go against their wishes, then it is possible that Aunt Kwi no longer hold any grudge against Jae. The second plausible solution why Aunt Kwi acted towards Jae the way she did during the wake was that she may have found no sincerity in Jae. Remember that Jae was only urged by his parents to come to the funeral and it is all too possible that Jae went only because of this and not because of his wanting to pay respect and tribute for his uncle. Looking into his eyes, Aunt Kwi may have concluded of this fact and so pushed Jae away while stating her dismay towards him and his being ungrateful, that after all the years and after his uncle has already passed away, Jae was still unforgiving. Saying this, the solution to the third mystery may be that Jae still has not forgiven Uncle Sung. This could also be established by the fact that Jae does not approve of his uncle’s adventurism, as is apparent by stating that he always knew Uncle Sung would die in the freeway and that he always felt danger around him. Works Cited Dinh, Viet. â€Å"Lucky. † Zeotrope All-Story vol. 8, no 2, 2008.

Jetair Ltd. and Contemporary Companies and Securities Law

Introduction In acting as advisors for the Pilot’s Association Australia and Airlines Union Australia, we seek to explore the legality of the various actions of the Jetair Ltd. ’s Board of Directors which ultimately lead to the hiring of a new staff body in New Zealand by JetairNZ Ltd at a lowered salary and the subsequent redundancy of Jetair Ltd. ’s Australian-based senior managers and pilots. The outcomes sought by the various employee associations seek for firstly, the imposition of the Australian-based wage of Jetair Ltd. s former senior managers and pilots upon the New Zealand-based staff of JetairNZ Ltd. The second outcome sought by the employee associations seeks for the retrenchment of the senior managers and pilots made redundant by Jetair Ltd. The third concern is with regards to ‘excessive’ remuneration of Jetair Ltd. ’s board. In examining these concerns, there are a number of legal areas that must be examined: firstly the relatio nship between Jetair Ltd. and JetairNZ Ltd. s a related body corporate and the various duties owed to both companies by their Board of Directors; the duties owed by the Board of Directors to both companies and the body corporate as a whole and the possibility of conflict of interest; the duty of care owed by the Board of Directors to their employees and the company as a whole; and finally the exploration of the remuneration of Jetair Ltd. ’s Board of Directors as a reflection of the current financial situation of the company.The argument for and against the pursuit of legal action will be based solely upon relevant legislation and case law; therefore the conclusions drawn will be the recommendation for the employee associations in regards to the pursuit of legal action. Related Bodies Corporate – Holding and Subsidiary Companies Given that conducting business with an Australian-based workforce operations, business proved to be cash-flow effective, but unprofitable â₠¬â€œ Jetair Ltd. has sought to pursue a differentiated corporate structure. In order to achieve this, Jetair Ltd. stablished a subsidiary, JetairNZ, in order to gain advantages that were previously unavailable. Incentives for the formation of a subsidiary, foreign or local, are provided for through both the rule of separate entity and limited liability. In the case of Jetair Ltd. the rules listed above provide for the existence of JetairNZ as a separate legal entity (although also functioning as part of the body corporate) with all of the same rights and obligations as any other registered company independent of its parent organization.The provision of limited liability as an individual company allows for the pursuit of extensive operations by the body corporate whilst remaining wary of liability in the case of insolvency of the subsidiary. Therefore, Jetair Ltd may be defined as the holding company whilst JetairNZ may be defined as a wholly-owned subsidiary. As the majority of the Board, three out of five directors, are controlled by Jetair Ltd. we can establish that the Board of Directors of JetairNZ is controlled by Jetair Ltd.From this we can assume that whilst JetairNZ enjoys the status of a separate entity and the overall corporate group is protected through the principle of limited liability; JetairNZ is in effect controlled by Jetair Ltd. Even though it is plausible to assume that Jetair Ltd. is in effect controlling the mind and will of JetairNZ the likelihood of piercing or lifting the corporate veil in order to determine without a doubt the timing, origin and motivation of JetairNZ’s decision to employ new personnel in conjunction with Jetair Ltd. ’s decision to effect a mass lay-off is highly unlikely.Indeed a concise summation of this principle may be credited to Rogers J in Briggs v James Hardie & Co Pty Ltd (1989) ‘Even the complete domination or control exercised by a parent over the subsidiary is not a sufficient basis for lifting the corporate veil ’1. Given precedence, the Courts would be unwilling to lift the corporate veil given the application of the entity doctrine by the High Court. An encompassing remark made in the case of Varangian Pty Ltd v OFM Capital Ltd [2003] by Dodds-Streeton, that may be relied upon in Jetair Ltd. s case is ‘The underlying unity of economic purpose, common personnel, common membership and control have not been held to justify the lifting the corporate veil’2. 1Briggs v James Hardie & Co Pty Ltd (1989) 16 NSWLR 549, 588 2 Varangian Pty Ltd v OFM Capital Ltd [2003] VSC 444 at [142] Interestingly, although the issue of redundancy payments is not being questioned by the employee associations – the case of Stanborough v Woolworths Ltd [2005] NSEADT 203 at [44]3, which illustrates a disparity in redundancy payments within a corporate group, illustrates the further application of the doctrine of separate entity which may be applied toJetair Ltd. an d JetairNZ in terms of the variance of remuneration offered and the retrenchment of redundant staff. To argue that the same remuneration be offered to both previous Jetair Ltd. and new JetairNZ employees would prove to be futile given that although they exist within the same corporate group, Jetair Ltd. and JetairNZ are in the eyes of the law separate entities. JetairNZ Board of Directors – Appointment & Control In the formation of JetairNZ, the board of directors appointed by Jetair Ltd. consists of several representatives of Jetair Ltd. and two representatives from the airline industry in New Zealand.As a holding company, Jetair Ltd. is well within the law to appoint its own nominees to the Board of Directors of a subsidiary such as JetairNZ. In fact, this proves to be common practice, with the frequent alignment of interests amongst the company as a whole. Although there is an alignment of interests between both the holding company and subsidiary, in case there is any situ ation in which a conflict of interests arises the directors of a subsidiary such as JetairNZ are required to act in the best interests of the subsidiary, not the company as a whole.In this case, the appointees of Jetair Ltd. currently serving as directors for JetairNZ are obligated to act in the best interests of JetairNZ at all times, precedence is given in the case Walker v Wimbore (1976) 137 CLR 14. Given the question of the enforcement of the previous Australian-wage for all JetairNZ senior managers and pilots, this would have to be in the best interests of JetairNZ alone to be passed by the JetairNZ board. Given that maintaining employees based in New Zealand is relatively less expensive 3 Stanborough v Woolworths Ltd [2005] NSEADT 203 at [44] Walker v Wimbore (1976) 137 CLR 1 in terms of remuneration for JetairNZ, employing an inflated level of remuneration would not be in the best interests of JetairNZ. Should the Board of Directors pursue such an action, they would not be ac ting in the best interests of the company and they would be in breach of duty. Director’s Duty of Care – Company vs. Employees In examining the duty of care owed by the Board of Directors of Jetair Ltd. there exists an inequality of that which is owed to employees and to the company.The first priority of the directors’ is to maximize the value of the company, in order to maximize the earnings of the shareholders in the short- and long-term. However, directors also owe a duty of care to their employees and other various stakeholders in the company – often termed Corporate Social Responsibility. In the case of Jetair Ltd. and the potential action from employees and their relevant associations there exist arguments both for and against Jetair Ltd. ’s redundancy scheme. The arguments against Jetair Ltd. ’s action stem from the consideration for corporate social responsibility of companies – specifically for their employees.However, an exa mination of CMAC Report – The Social Responsibility of Corporations (2006)5 addresses many of the issues arising in the course of companies conducting business – whereby various stakeholders in companies concerns are unaddressed or unsupported by current company law. Whilst the report allows for recognition of the conflicts between companies and various stakeholders it also considered the current company law to be sufficient in granting persons such as the directors of Jetair Ltd. the appropriate powers and obligations to take into account their corporate social responsibility.The report also concluded that any amendment to the Corporations Act 20016 was unsubstantiated. Whilst it is possible to cite 5 Corporations and Markets Advisory Committee (2006) The Social Responsibilities of Corporations 6 The Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) Corporate Social Responsibility as an argument for the retrenchment of the former senior managers and pilots of Jetair Ltd. , The Social Respo nsibility of Corporations (2006)7 has found that the consideration of stakeholders such as employees may prove to be detrimental to corporate decision-makers primary consideration – the shareholders.There exists a significant argument against the sublimation of the interests of shareholders to pursue the interests of company employees. Simply put, directors of a company should not place the interests of employees before the interests of shareholders as is illustrated in Parke v Daily News Ltd [1962]; whereby we may assume that the fiduciary duties of the directors lie with the shareholders alone. The redundancy payments previously received by former employees are indeed a necessary compensation as they were incidental to Jetair Ltd. carrying on their business, having been a previously agreed contractual obligation.Redundancy payments may also be viewed as a facet of Corporate Social Responsibility, as they frequently appease the employee unions and ease the continuance of bus iness. Jetair Ltd. differentiated their corporate structure, through the creation of a subsidiary and a shift in staffing location and remuneration, in order to achieve lowered operational costs – thereby maximizing shareholder’s value. Jetair Ltd. also upon making the represented employees redundant paid all entitlements, and has not breached the Corporations Act 20019 regarding employee entitlements.From this we may reason that Jetair Ltd. has fulfilled their legal obligation to act in the best interests of the shareholders before their employees; and has also fulfilled their legal obligations regarding employee entitlements whilst also pursuing a measure of Corporate Social Responsibility through the provision of redundancy payments to facilitate their employment transition and ease tension with relevant employee associations. 7 Corporations and Markets Advisory Committee (2006) The Social Responsibilities of Corporations 8 Parke v Daily News Ltd [1962] Ch 927 Corpo rations Act 2001 (Cth) Jetair Board of Directors Remuneration When addressing the issue of dissention of former employees and their associations with the level of remuneration of the board of directors of Jetair Ltd. , it is necessary to explain the procedures regarding director’s remuneration to ascertain if there has been any illegal action. There are several key discussion points as follow: the company constitution, the corporate governance principles, and lastly current opinion regarding high levels of director’s remuneration.Firstly, a director is not permitted to receive any remuneration from their company unless approved by either the company’s constitution (replaceable rules included) or the shareholders. If we assume that Jetair Ltd. ’s constitution provides for the ability of the board to decide their own remuneration; this, although in direct conflict with corporate governance, is not in fact illegal. The assignation of large bonuses in additio n to the usual remuneration was awarded at the AGM in November 2011, and therefore was disclosed to shareholders and passed by a vote either by the shareholders or the board of directors.According to the Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations10, Jetair Ltd. must pursue a directors’ remuneration policy of remunerating fairly ad responsibly. In order to prove any wrongdoing by the board of Jetair Ltd. the following must be proved: excessive remuneration leading to oppressive or unfair conduct leading to no/reduced shareholder dividends; deviation from company policies regarding the company’s performance and its effect upon director’s remuneration; or a lack of disclosure of the remuneration of each individual director. 0 ASX Corporate Governance Council(2010) Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations In recent years there has been a shift in public perceptions regarding level of executive and non-executive director’s remuneration; lar gely due to the poor performance of many companies throughout the Global Financial Crisis. This has led to a strengthening of the framework relating company performance to director’s remuneration through the Corporations Amendment (Improving Accountability on Director and Executive Remuneration) Act 2011 (Cth)11.Pursuing action regarding the ‘excessive’ remuneration or bonuses of the directors of Jetair Ltd. , in the case that any of the above was substantiated would lead to the return of the ‘excessive’ remuneration to Jetair Ltd. The pursuit of such an action would prove to return value to the company, but would in no way assist in the retrenchment of former employees. Conclusion & Recommendations To conclude it is not recommended for the Commercial Airlines Union and the Pilots Association to pursue legal action against either Jetair Ltd. r JetairNZ. This report has sought to outline any potential courses of action available to the employee associ ations representing the recently terminated Australian-based senior managers and pilots of Jetair Ltd. The arguments against pursuing legal action are based in case or legislative law; and provide legal reasoning for the actions of Jetair Ltd. Although the employees and their associations may at this time feel that the situation is unfair there exists, at this time, no apparent legal wrongdoing on the part of Jetair Ltd. n their establishment of a subsidiary company, termination of current employees, the imposition of a lesser wage for employees of JetairNZ or the recent award of large bonuses in addition to remuneration of the Board of Directors of Jetair Ltd. Word Count: 2,164 11 Corporations Amendment (Improving Accountability on Director and Executive Remuneration) Act 2011 (Cth) Sources Cited oASX Corporate Governance Council (2010), Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations oBriggs v James Hardie & Co Pty Ltd (1989) 16 NSWLR 549, 588 oCorporations Act 2001 (Cth) Corp orations Amendment (Improving Accountability on Director and Executive Remuneration) Act 2011 (Cth) oCorporations and Markets Advisory Committee (2006) The Social Responsibilities of Corporations oParke v Daily News Ltd [1962] Ch 927 oLipton, P. Herzberg,A. & Welsch,Michelle (2012), ‘Understanding Company Law’ (16th Edt. ), Corporate Education Services Pty Ltd. oStanborough v Woolworths Ltd [2005] NSEADT 203 at [44] oWalker v Wimbore (1976) 137 CLR 1 oVarangian Pty Ltd v OFM Capital Ltd [2003] VSC 444 at [142]

The Return: Nightfall Chapter 2

Damon had to wait some hours for another opportunity to feed – there were too many girls in deep sleep – and he was furious. The hunger that the manipulative creature had roused in him was real, even if it hadn't succeeded in making him its puppet. He needed blood; and he needed itsoon . Only then would he think over the implications of Caroline's strange mirror-guest: that trulydemonic demon lover who had handed her over to Damon to be killed, even while pretending to make a deal with her. NineA.M . saw him driving down the main street of the town, past an antique store, eateries, a shop for greeting cards. Wait. There it was. A new store that sold sunglasses. He parked and got out of the car with an elegance of motion born of centuries of careless movement that wasted not an erg of energy. Once again, Damon flashed the instantaneous smile, and then he turned it off, admiring himself in the dark glass of the window. Yes, no matter how you look at it, I am gorgeous, he thought absently. The door had a bell that made a tinkling sound as he entered. Inside was a plump and very pretty girl with brown hair tied back and large blue eyes. She had seen Damon and she was smiling shyly. â€Å"Hi.† And though he hadn't asked, she added, in a voice that quavered, â€Å"I'm Page.† Damon gave her a long, unhurried look that ended in a smile, slow and brilliant and complicit. â€Å"Hello, Page,† he said, drawing it out. Page swallowed. â€Å"Can I help you?† â€Å"Oh, yes,† Damon said, holding her with his eyes, â€Å"I think so.† He turned serious. â€Å"Did you know,† he said, â€Å"that you really belong as a chatelaine in a castle in the Middle Ages?† Page went white, then blushed furiously – and looked all the better for it. â€Å"I – I always wished that I'd been born back then. But how could you know that?† Damon just smiled. Elena looked at Stefan with wide eyes that were the dark blue of lapis lazuli with a scattering of gold. He'd just told her that she was going to have Visitors! In all the seven days of her life, since she had returned from the afterlife, she had never – ever – had a Visitor. First thing, right away, was to find out what a Visitor was. Fifteen minutes after entering the sunglasses shop, Damon was walking down the sidewalk, wearing a brand-new pair of Ray-Bans and whistling. Page was taking a little nap on the floor. Later, her boss would threaten to make her pay for the Ray-Bans herself. But right now she felt warm and deliriously happy – and she had a memory of ecstasy that she would never entirely forget. Damon window-shopped, although not exactly the way a human would. A sweet old woman behind the counter of the greeting cards shop†¦no. A guy at the electronics shop†¦no. But†¦something drew him back to the electronics shop. Such clever devices they were inventing these days. He had a strong urge to acquire a palm-sized video camera. Damon was used to following his urges and was not picky about donors in an emergency. Blood was blood, whatever vessel it came in. A few minutes after he'd been shown how to work the little toy, he was walking down the sidewalk with it in his pocket. He was enjoying just walking, although his fangs were aching again. Strange, he should be sated – but then, he'd had almost nothing yesterday. That must be why he still felt hungry; that and the Power he'd used on the damnable parasite in Caroline's room. But meanwhile he took pleasure in the way his muscles were working together smoothly and without effort, like a well-oiled machine, making every movement a delight. He stretched once, for the pure animal enjoyment of it, and then stopped again to examine himself in the window of the antiques store. Slightly more disheveled, but otherwise as beautiful as ever. And he'd been right; the Ray-Bans looked wicked on him. The antiques store was owned, he knew, by a widow with a very pretty, very young niece. It was dim and air-conditioned inside. â€Å"Do you know,† he asked the niece when she came to wait on him, â€Å"that you strike me as someone who would like to see a lot of foreign countries?† Some time after Stefan explained to Elena that Visitors were her friends, hergood friends, he wanted her to get dressed. Elena didn't understand why. It was hot. She had given in to wearing a Night Gown (for at least most of the night), but the daytime was even warmer, and she didn't have a Day Gown. Besides, the clothes he was offering her – a pair of his jeans rolled up at the hems and a polo shirt that would be much too big – were†¦wrong somehow. When she touched the shirt she got pictures of hundreds of women in small rooms, all using sewing machines in bad light, all working frantically. â€Å"From a sweat shop?† Stefan said, startled, when she showed him the picture in her mind.†These?† He dropped the clothes on the floor of the closet hastily. â€Å"What about this one?† Stefan handed her a different shirt. Elena studied it soberly, held it to her cheek. No sweating, frantically sewing women. â€Å"Okay?† Stefan said. But Elena had frozen. She went to the window and peered out. â€Å"What's wrong?† This time, she sent him only one picture. He recognized it immediately. Damon. Stefan felt a tightening in his chest. His older brother had been making Stefan's existence as miserable as possible for nearly half a millennium. Every time that Stefan had managed to get away from him, Damon had tracked him down, looking for†¦what? Revenge? Some final satisfaction? They had killed each other at the same instant, back in Renaissance Italy. Their fencing swords had pierced each other's hearts almost simultaneously, in a duel over a vampire girl. Things had only gone downhill from there. But he's saved your life a few times, too, Stefan thought, suddenly discomfited. And you promised you'd watch out for each other, take care of each other†¦. Stefan looked sharply at Elena.She was the one who'd made both of them take the same oath – when she was dying. Elena looked back with eyes that were limpid, deep blue pools of innocence. In any case, he had to deal with Damon, who was now parking his Ferrari beside Stefan's Porsche in front of the boardinghouse. â€Å"Stay in here and – and keep away from the window.Please ,† Stefan hastily told Elena. He dashed out of the room, shut the door, and almost ran down the steps. He found Damon standing by the Ferrari, examining the dilapidated boardinghouse's exterior – first with sunglasses on, then with them off. Damon's expression said that it didn't make a great deal of difference whichever way you looked at it. But that wasn't Stefan's first concern. It was Damon's aura and the variety of different scents lingering on him – which no human nose would ever be able to detect, much less untangle. â€Å"What have you beendoing ?† Stefan said, too shocked for even a perfunctory greeting. Damon gave him a 250-watt smile. â€Å"Antiquing,† he said, and sighed. â€Å"Oh, and I did some shopping.† He fingered a new leather belt, touched the pocket with the video camera, and pushed back his Ray-Bans. â€Å"Would you believe it, this little dust speck of a town has some pretty decent shopping. I like shopping.† â€Å"You like stealing, you mean. And that doesn't account for half of what I can smell on you. Are you dying or have you just gone crazy?† Sometimes, when a vampire had been poisoned or had succumbed to one of the few mysterious curses or illnesses that afflict their kind, they would feed feverishly, uncontrollably, on whatever – whomever – was at hand. â€Å"Just hungry,† Damon replied urbanely, still surveying the boardinghouse. â€Å"And what happened to basic civility, by the way? I drive all the way out here and do I get a  ¡Ã‚ ®Hello, Damon,' or  ¡Ã‚ ®Nice to see you, Damon'? No. Instead I hear  ¡Ã‚ ®What have you been doing, Damon?'† He gave the imitation a whining, mocking twist. â€Å"I wonder what Signore Marino would think of that, little brother?† â€Å"Signore Marino,† Stefan said through his teeth, wondering how Damon was able to get under his skin every time – today with a reference to their old tutor of etiquette and dancing – â€Å"has been dust for hundreds of years by now – as we should be, too. Which has nothing to do with this conversation, brother . I asked you what you were doing, and you know what I meant by it – you must have bled half the girls in town.† â€Å"Girls and women,† Damon reproved, holding up a finger facetiously. â€Å"We must be politically correct, after all. And maybe you should be taking a closer look at your own diet. If you drank more, you might begin to fill out. Who knows?† â€Å"If I drank more – ?† There were a number of ways to finish this sentence, but no good ones. â€Å"What a pity,† he said instead to the short, slim, and compact Damon, â€Å"thatyou'll never grow another millimeter taller however long you live. And now, why don't you tell me what you're doing here, after leaving so many messes in town for me to clean up – if I know you.† â€Å"I'm here because I want my leather jacket back,† Damon said flatly. â€Å"Why not just steal anoth – ?† Stefan broke off as he suddenly found himself flying briefly backward and then pinned against the groaning boards of the boardinghouse wall, with Damon right in his face. â€Å"I didn't steal these things,boy . I paid for them – in my own coin. Dreams, fantasies, and pleasure from beyond this world.† Damon said the last words with emphasis, since he knew they would infuriate Stefan the most. Stefanwas infuriated – and in a dilemma. He knew Damon was curious about Elena. That was bad enough. But right now he could also see a strange gleam in Damon's eyes. As if the pupils had, for a moment, reflected a flame. And whatever Damon had been doing today was abnormal. Stefan didn't know what was going on, but he knew just how Damon was going to finish this off. â€Å"But a real vampire shouldn't pay,† Damon was saying in his most taunting tones. â€Å"After all, we're so wicked that we ought to be dust. Isn't that right, little brother?† He held up the hand with the finger on which he wore the lapis lazuli ring that kept him from crumbling to dust in the golden afternoon sunlight. And then, as Stefan made a movement, Damon used that hand to pin Stefan's wrist to the wall. Stefan feinted to the left and then lunged right to break Damon's hold on him. But Damon was fast as a snake – no, faster. Much faster than usual. Fast and strong with all the energy of the life force he'd absorbed. â€Å"Damon, you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Stefan was so angry that he briefly lost his hold on rational thought and tried to swipe Damon's legs out from under him. â€Å"Yes, it's me, Damon,† Damon said with jubilant venom. â€Å"And I don't pay if I don't feel like it; I just take. Itake what I want, and I give nothing in return.† Stefan stared into those heated black-on-black eyes and again saw the tiny flicker of flame. He tried to think. Damon was always quick to attack, to take offense. Butnot like this . Stefan had known him long enough to know something was off; something was wrong. Damon seemed almost feverish. Stefan sent a small surge of Power toward his brother, like a radar sweep, trying to put his finger on what was different. â€Å"Yes, I see you've got the idea, but you'll never get anywhere that way,† Damon said wryly, and then suddenly Stefan's insides, his entire body was on fire, was in agony, as Damon lashed out with a violent whip of his own Power. And now, however bad the pain was, Stefan had to be coldly rational; he had to keepthinking , not just reacting. He made a small movement, twisting his neck to the side, looking toward the door of the boardinghouse. If only Elena would stay inside†¦ But it was hard to think with Damon still whiplashing him. He was breathing fast and hard. â€Å"That's right,† Damon said. â€Å"We vampirestake – a lesson you need to learn.† â€Å"Damon, we're supposed to take care of each other – we promised – â€Å" â€Å"Yes, and I'm going to take care ofyou right now.† And Damon bled him. It was even more painful than the lashings of Power, and Stefan held himself carefully still for it, refusing to put up a struggle. The razor-sharp teeth shouldn't have hurt as they plunged into his carotid, but Damon was holding him at an angle – now by his hair – deliberately so that they did. Then came the real pain. The agony of having blood drawn out against your will, against your resistance. That was a torture that humans compared with having their souls ripped out from their living bodies. They would do anything to avoid it. All Stefan knew was that it was one of the greatestphysical anguishes that he had ever had to endure, and that at last tears formed in his eyes and rolled down his temples and down into his wavy dark hair. Worse, for a vampire, was the humiliation of having another vampire treat you like a human, treat you likemeat . Stefan's heart was pounding in his ears as he writhed under the double carving knives of Damon's canines, trying to bear the mortification of being used this way. At least – thank God – Elena had listened to him and stayed in his room. He was beginning to wonder if Damon had truly gone insane and meant to kill him when – at last – with a shove that sent him off balance, Damon released him. Stefan tripped and fell, rolled, and looked up, only to find Damon standing over him again. He pressed his fingers to the torn flesh on his neck. â€Å"And now,† Damon said coldly, â€Å"you will go up and get me my jacket.† Stefan got up slowly. He knew Damon must be savoring this: Stefan's humiliation, Stefan's neat clothes wrinkled and covered with torn blades of grass and mud from Mrs. Flowers' scraggly flower bed. He did his best to brush them off with one hand, the other still pressed to his neck. â€Å"You're quiet,† Damon remarked, standing by his Ferrari, running his tongue over his lips and gums, his eyes narrow with pleasure. â€Å"No snappy back talk? Not even a word? I think this is a lesson I should teach you more often.† Stefan was having trouble making his legs move. Well, that went about as well as could be expected, he thought as he turned back toward the boardinghouse. Then he stopped. Elena was leaning out of the unshuttered window in his room, holding Damon's jacket. Her expression was very sober, suggesting she'd seen everything. It was a shock for Stefan, but he suspected it was an even greater shock for Damon. And then Elena whirled the jacket around once and threw it so that it made a direct landing at Damon's feet, wrapping around them. To Stefan's astonishment, Damon went pale. He picked up the jacket as if he didn't really want to touch it. His eyes were on Elena the whole time. He got in his car. â€Å"Good-bye, Damon. I can't say it's been a pleasure – â€Å" Without a word, looking for all the world like a naughty child who'd been whipped, Damon turned on the ignition. â€Å"Just leave me alone,† he said expressionlessly in a low voice. He drove off in a cloud of dust and gravel. Elena's eyes were not serene when Stefan shut the door to his room behind him. They were shining with a light that nearly stopped him in the doorway. Hehurtyou. â€Å"He hurts everyone. He doesn't seem to be able to help it. But there was something weird about him today. I don't know what. Right now, I don't care. But look at you, making sentences!† He's†¦Elena paused, and for the first time since she'd first opened her eyes back in the glade where she had been resurrected, there was a frown-wrinkle on her forehead. She couldn't make a picture. She didn't know the right words.Something inside him. Growing inside him. Like†¦cold fire, dark light, she said finally.But hidden. Fire that burns from the inside out. Stefan tried to match this up with anything he'd heard of and came up blank. He was still humiliated that Elena had seen what had happened. â€Å"AllI know that's inside him is my blood. Along with that of half the girls in town.† Elena shut her eyes and shook her head slowly. Then, as if deciding not to go any further down that path, she patted the bed beside her. Come,she ordered confidently, looking up. The gold in her eyes seemed especially lustrous.Let me†¦unhurt†¦the pain. When Stefan didn't come immediately, she held out her arms. Stefan knew he shouldn't go to them, but hewas hurt – especially in his pride. He went to her and bent down to kiss her hair.

Rehabilitation Engineering Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

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